Brand, Perry wed at traditional ceremony in India

RANTHAMBHORE NATIONAL PARK, India – British comedian Russell Brand and American pop singer Katy Perry were married Saturday in a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony at a luxury resort in a tiger reserve in northwestern India, an official said.

A Hindu priest conducted the ceremony, which was attended by family and close friends of the couple, a hotel official said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Security has been stringent with private security guards stationed at the resort and other nearby hotels where guests and the couple are staying for the six-day wedding celebration.

Photographers and media reporters were not allowed into the Aman-e-Khas wildlife retreat. The couple have given the exclusive coverage rights to a London magazine, and no other photographers or journalists will be allowed into the resort.

The wedding venue was lit with lamps, colorful lights illuminated the trees and flower garlands festooned the luxury tents at the resort.

Both Brand and Perry wore traditional Indian clothes to the wedding. Perry donned a sari, as did a number of other female guests at the ceremony. On Friday, at a prenuptial celebration, Perry, like a typical Indian bride, had henna designs applied on her palms and hands.

Meanwhile, a four-member committee had been set up to check noise pollution from the wedding celebration and ensure that animals in the wildlife reserve in India's Rajasthan state are not disturbed, said Ravi Kumar, a district official.

The Ranthambhore National Park, where the resort is located, is home to a host of wildlife species including tigers, leopards, wild boars, hyenas and sloth bears.

Press Trust of India news agency said 21 camels, elephants and horses formed part of Brand's wedding procession from Sher Bagh, another nearby luxury resort, to the Aman-e-Khas. The procession was accompanied by traditional Indian dancers and musicians.

Brand proposed to Perry in the historic Indian city of Jaipur over New Year's Eve, and the couple decided to get married in India.

The 26-year-old Perry's second album, "Teenage Dream," was one of this year's best-sellers.

Brand, 35, is known for his drug-addled past and hedonistic tendencies. He is next set to star as Trinculo in "The Tempest" and the title character in a remake of "Arthur."